Green tea is known for its cardiovascular benefits, but now researchers have found that a key chemical in green tea also can help boost memory and spatial learning. So…for an afternoon brain boost, sip a cup of green tea and sharpen your focus. Added benefit: It’s delicious.
When you add focus to hearing, you have listening, a skill that is endangered because of all the digital information around us, writes Seth S. Horowitz, PhD, an auditory neuroscientist at Brown University in a recent New York Times article. Solution: Take a minute to really listen to what your family and friends are saying to you. “The richness of life doesn’t lie in the loudness and the beat,” writes Dr. Horowitz, “but in the timbres and variations that you can discern if you simply pay attention.”
A whiff of two essential oils—either rosemary or peppermint—will stimulate your brain and enhance your concentration and focus. You can buy essential oils for about $6 to $12 for a half-ounce bottle at health-food stores or online. Keep these small bottles handy for those moments when you need a quick lift. Sniff lightly at first—they’re powerful!
In a study of car accidents by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, researchers found that in 80% of crashes, the drivers were distracted in the three seconds preceding the crash. They lost focus—and there is a lesson here for life in general, says Peter Bregman in a Harvard Business Review blog. The lesson: Know “where to focus and what to ignore.” He suggests making two lists—a focus list (what’s important, what makes you happy) and an ignore list (the distractions that don’t make you happy). Keep both lists in mind when managing your time.
We might think of mind wandering as a pleasant experience, but Harvard University researchers have found that only when we are fully present in the moment are we truly content. Throughout your day, stay focused on what you're doing and see how it makes you feel.
